creative thinking and problem solving presentation

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

Nov 16, 2014

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CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING. CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING. Introductions Purpose Learning Objectives. CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING. PURPOSE: To develop the awareness and the skills necessary to solve problems creatively. LEARNING OBJECTIVES. 1. Define creative problem solving.

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• creative thinking
• problem solving
• mental blocks
• mental block 3
• creative problem solving process

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CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING • Introductions • Purpose • Learning Objectives Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PURPOSE: To develop the awareness and the skills necessary to solve problems creatively. Optimist International

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Define creative problem solving. 2. Be familiar with common mental blocks to creative thinking process. 3. Explore ways to be more creative. 4. Know the steps to the creative problem solving process. 5. Be familiar with: Brainstorming, Mind mapping and Multivoting 6. Apply tools to solve a problem. Optimist International

Workshop Outline • A. What is creative problem solving? • B. Why don’t we think creatively more often? • C. How can we be more creative? • D. What is the creative problem solving process? • E. What are some other specific creative problem solving tools and techniques? • F. Application of learning. Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING What is creative problem solving? Optimist International

Some Additional Thoughts • The creative person uses information to form new ideas. • The real key to creative problem solving is what you do with the knowledge. • Creative problem solving requires an attitude that allows you to search for new ideas and use your knowledge and experience. • Change perspective and use knowledge to make the ordinary extraordinary and the usual commonplace. Optimist International

DEFINITION Creative problem solving is - Optimist International

DEFINITION “Creative problem solving is - looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.” Adapted from a famous quote from a former Nobel prize winner, Albert Szent-Gyorgi. Optimist International

EXERCISE Optimist International

A SOLUTION Optimist International

LET’S TALK ABOUT: Why don’t we think creatively more often? What are the barriers that get in our way? Optimist International

BARRIERS THAT GET IN OUR WAY • Time • Why change? • Usually don’t need to be creative • Habit • Routine • Haven’t been taught to be creative What are some other barriers that get in our way? Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCKS Mental blocks are reasons (attitudes) why we don’t “think something different.” Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCKS 1. The _______ answer. 2. That’s not _________. 3. __________ the rules. 4. Be ______________. 5. ________ is frivolous. 6. That’s not my _____. 7. ________ ambiguity. 8. Don’t be _________. 9. __________is wrong. 10. I’m not __________. Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 1 • The right answer. Only one? Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 2 • The right answer. • That’s not logical. Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 3 Why rules should be challenged: • 1. We make rules based on reasons that make a lot of sense. • 2. We follow these rules. • 3. Time passes, and things change. • 4. The original reasons for the generation of these rules may no longer exist, but because the rules are still in place, we continue to follow them. • The right answer. • That’s not logical. • Follow the rules. Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 4 • The right answer. • That’s not logical. • Follow the rules. • Be practical. Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 5 • The right answer. • That’s not logical. • Follow the rules. • Be practical. • Play is frivolous. “When do you get your best ideas?” Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 6 • That’s not my area. Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 7 • That’s not my area. • Avoid ambiguity. AMBIGUITY Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 8 • That’s not my area. • Avoid ambiguity. • Don’t be foolish. Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 9 • That’s not my area. • Avoid ambiguity. • Don’t be foolish. • To err is wrong. Optimist International

MENTAL BLOCK # 10 • That’s not my area. • Avoid ambiguity. • Don’t be foolish. • To err is wrong. • I’m not creative. Optimist International

BEING MORE CREATIVE How can we be more creative? Jot down at least 3 ideas that come to your mind. Optimist International

Golden Rules of Creative Thinking • Start small trying to discover new ways to be creative, ___________. • __________ to abandon the old, obsolete ways of doing things and explore new ways. • It is not possible to change the way we think about everything. ________ in which to try creative thinking techniques. • Understand that creative thinking requires __________, but it is worth it! • Remember that creative thinking is both _______ and__________!!! Optimist International

Golden Rules of Creative Thinking (Continued) • _________ on what you can reasonably do. Trying to do too many things at once compromises the effort and may take away from the results. • _________creative thinking for today as well as tomorrow. • Include other people in the creative thinking process with you. __________fosters creative thinking. • Include _______ and ______ in your creative thinking process as well as ___________. • Keep ________________. Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS STEP 1. State what appears to be the problem. The real problem may not surface until facts have been gathered and analyzed. Therefore, start with what you assume to be the problem, that can later be confirmed or corrected. Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS STEP 2. Gather facts, feelings and opinions. What happened? Where, when and how did it occur? What is it’s size, scope, and severity? Who and what is affected? Likely to happen again? Need to be corrected? May need to assign priorities to critical elements. Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS STEP 3. Restate the problem. The real facts help make this possible, and provide supporting data. The actual problem may, or may not be the same as stated in Step 1. Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS STEP 4. Identify alternative solutions. Generate ideas. Do not eliminate any possible solutions until several have been discussed. Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS STEP 5. Evaluate alternatives. Which will provide the optimum solution? What are the risks? Are costs in keeping with the benefits? Will the solution create new problems? Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS STEP 6. Implement the decision! Who must be involved? To what extent? How, when and where? Who will the decision impact? What might go wrong? How will the results be reported and verified? Optimist International

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS STEP 7. Evaluate the results. Test the solution against the desired results. Make revisions if necessary. Optimist International

10 Questions To Encourage Ideas • What if…? • How can we improve…? • How will the Optimist Member and/or the community benefit? • Are we forgetting anything? • What’s the next step? Optimist International

10 Questions To Encourage Ideas • What can we do better…? • What do you think about…? • What should we add? • What should we eliminate? • What other ideas do you have...? Optimist International

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES BRAINSTORMING Purpose: To generate a large number of ideas in a short period of time. Optimist International

BRAINSTORMING Rules for Brainstorming: • The more ideas the better! • No discussion • No idea is a bad idea • Build on one another’s ideas • Display all ideas Optimist International

BRAINSTORMING EXERCISE How Do We Motivate Our Local Optimist Club Members? Ideas: Freely record your ideas as they come to your mind. Optimist International

Re-state the question to keep the process going Remember Creative Thinking What did you mean by that?!!! BRAINSTORMING GUIDELINES 1. Practice question:How Do We Motivate Our Local Optimist Club Members? 2. Clarify understanding. Once all the ideas have been generated (it may take approximately 5 to 6 minutes),review ideas offered. Optimist International

Let’s combine ideas!!! Are wedone yet? BRAINSTORMING GUIDELINES 3. Combine items that are similar and/or eliminate duplicates. 4. Completion. Optimist International

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES - MULTIVOTING • Purpose: To help a group of people make a decision with which they are comfortable. • Definition: A way to vote to select the most important or popular items (alternatives) from a list. Optimist International

Multivoting List 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Revised List 1. 2. 3. MULTIVOTING Steps 1. Generate a list of items and number each item. 2. If two or more items seem similar, they may be combined. 3. If necessary, renumber the items. Optimist International

MULTIVOTING Steps (Continued) 4. Write down the numbers of the items you feel are the major cause of the problem. 5. Share your votes by a show of hands. 6. Eliminate those items with the fewest votes. 7. Repeat steps 3 (renumber) through 6 on the list of remaining items. Continue this process until only a few items remain. If a clear favorite does not emerge, the group may discuss the items listed and make a choice. Optimist International

MIND MAPPING • Definition : A visual picture of a group of ideas, concepts or issues. • Purpose : • Unblock our thinking. • See an entire idea or several ideas on one sheet of paper. • See how ideas relate to one another. • Look at things in a new and different way. • Look at an idea in depth. Optimist International

Motivating Members Methods How Think freely!! Mind Mapping Exercise 1. Initial Tumble of Ideas. • Over-sized blank sheet of paper. • Select word, phrase or problem statement to serve as a focus for discussion. • Print it in the middle of the paper. Enclose it in a box or oval. • Let a word pop out of your mind. Print it anywhere on the paper. • Underline it and connect the line with the problem statement (or key phrase or word) you are working. • Record the next idea and connect it to original focus point or the prior thought. • Continue printing and connecting words. Optimist International

Motivating Members People Helping Others Purpose Resources Results Methods Fun Learning How Mind Mapping Exercise EXAMPLE Optimist International

Mind Mapping Exercise-- Helpful Hints A • Keep your printing large and easy to read. • Feel free to use symbols and or pictures. • Have some fun using different colors. Optimist International

Have Fun Drawing Your Own Mind Map! COMPLETED MAP • Draw over clusters of similar thoughts that are associated with the main focus point. Have fun using a different color highlighter with each cluster of words. • How do the variety of ideas relate to one another? • Do you notice any common causes of the problem? What are the most important causes? • You are now ready to brainstorm solutions! Optimist International

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Creative thinking examples, why is creative thinking important, how to include creative thinking skills in a job application, how to build creativity, what is creative thinking definition and examples.

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Table of Contents

Creative thinking is the ability to come up with unique, original solutions. Also known as creative problem-solving, creative thinking is a valuable and marketable soft skill in a wide variety of careers. Here’s what you need to know about creative thinking at work and how to use it to land a job. 

Creative thinking is all about developing innovative solutions to problems. Creative thinkers brainstorm not only a large number of ideas but also a variety and range of them. In the workplace, creative thinking is highly valuable because employers look to hire innovative employees who can help them solve the company’s problems.

So, what does creative thinking in the workplace look like? First, a creative person brainstorms their ideas, then they’ll experiment with them. They look at ideas from multiple perspectives and examine how their solutions fit into the scope of what they’re working on. Creative thinkers aren’t afraid to take risks and try new ideas. In fact, this ability to develop, test, and implement original solutions makes them a valuable asset to just about any workplace. 

Creative thinking in the workplace might look like:

• Holding an interactive brainstorm to gather initial thoughts on a project
• Evaluating a current process and offering suggestions on how to improve it
• Researching other ways to market a product and leading experiments on new marketing channels
• Developing an innovative way to reach out to prospective clients
• Identifying a unique opportunity to promote the company brand and developing a strategy to do so
• Discovering a new way to measure a product initiative’s success and using learnings to iterate on the next version

Finding patterns in a company’s revenue growth and using data trends to strategize a new sales plan  

Creative thinking includes the process of innovative problem-solving — from analyzing the facts to brainstorming to working with others. Creative thinking examples include analytical skills, innovation, and collaboration.

Analytical Skills

Analytical skills are problem-solving skills that help you sort through facts, data, and information to develop rational solutions. These skills aid you in the first part of the creative thinking process as you brainstorm and start to generate ideas. 

Analytical skills include:

• Data analysis
• Forecasting
• Interpreting
• Communication

Innovation is the ability to come up with something new; however, you don’t need to develop the first flying car to be an innovative thinker. “Something new” at work might mean a method you haven’t tried before or experimenting with an unfamiliar process. Innovators in the workplace aren’t afraid to step away from tradition and explore something original, even if it might fail. 

Innovation skills include:

• Risk-taking
• Brainstorming
• Critical thinking

Collaboration

Creative thinking doesn’t have to happen alone; you might have your most creative ideas when bouncing your work off others. Collaboration skills ensure you consider multiple perspectives and ways of thinking when you develop and refine ideas.

Collaboration skills include:

• Written and verbal communication
• Active listening
• Inclusivity

A soft skill like creative thinking will always be valuable to employers, whether you’re looking for a marketing job or trying to land a career in finance . Employers need employees who can develop and experiment with new ideas to help them solve complex problems. 

“Many employers seek candidates that are analytical and outside-the-box thinkers which are iterations of creative thinking skills,” says Alejandra Garcia, manager, alumni college and career success at Code2College and Forage content development partner. “Thus, creative thinking, creative problem solving, innovative thinking, and analytical skills are all valuable in the current workplace — these skills are especially important in our ever-changing workplaces with new emerging technologies.”

The data supports this idea, too. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs report , creative thinking is the second most important skill for workers in 2023, preceded only by analytical skills. Other top skills include soft skills like resilience, flexibility and agility, motivation and self-awareness, and curiosity and lifelong learning .

“The ability to navigate new challenges quickly can benefit any workplace!” Laura Fontenot, resume writing expert, ACRW, and CPRW, says. “The current world of work is fast-paced, technically driven, and constantly changing. Being intuitive, creative, driven, and a problem solver are key.”

If creative thinking is one of the top soft skills employers look for, how do you show you have it in a job application? The key is to prove these skills through examples of how you’ve used them rather than just naming them.

On a Resume

While creative thinking is a skill employers might look for, you don’t necessarily need to write “creative thinking” on your resume to show you have this skill. Instead, it’s better to demonstrate how you’ve used creative thinking skills to drive results.

“Think of your best mental strengths,” says Fontenot. “Are you a great problem solver? Do you understand how to phrase things differently? Can you learn a new skill quickly? Those questions can help you find great words for the resume . Consider adding things like problem-solving, intuition, collaboration, fast learner, organized, or communication.”

Log in to view and download a customizable resume template with examples of how to include creative thinking skills:

On Your Professional Profiles

You can show these skills outside of your resume in creative ways — including on your LinkedIn profile and website (if you have one!).

“Early professionals can make creative thinking a part of their professional brand by explicitly adding creative thinking or creative problem solving to their list of skills on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles — this will help with ATS optimizations,” Garcia advises. 

Yet beyond just listing this skill, Garcia adds that you can provide real proof of your creativity online, too.

“Consider adding projects or an online portfolio website link to your resume and LinkedIn where you can showcase projects you’ve worked on that demonstrate their problem-solving skills.”

In the Interview

In the interview , make sure you can describe your workflow and process for these projects or any other situation when you’ve used creative thinking. Elaborate how you brainstormed ideas, what range of ideas you had, how you tested and experimented, and how you decided on a final solution. 

It’s best to use the STAR method to structure your answers. This will ensure you clearly explain the situation and the results you brought by using your creative thinking skills.

>>MORE: Prepare to speak about your soft skills by practicing answers to commonly asked behavioral interview questions .

1. Put Yourself in a Box

Creative thinking is about “thinking outside the box,” but putting limitations on your problem-solving can help you think more freely and innovatively. For example, if someone tells you to make dinner, you may struggle to come up with a meal you don’t always cook. Yet if they ask you to make a hot dinner with three specific ingredients and two spices, you’ll more likely come up with something original. 

Putting yourself inside a box can help expand your thinking, whether that’s by telling yourself you need to include three charts in your presentation or giving yourself a strict word count for an article.

2. Switch up Your Routine

Routine can be a great productivity booster, but it also can get in the way of your creativity. So, switch up your routine for one project, day, or even an hour. This can be something as small as where you’re physically sitting when you do your work or something as big as your process for approaching projects. Challenging yourself to do something different will help you find creative ways to adapt to your new environment.

3. Challenge What’s Currently Working

Think about how you might expand or improve upon a current process. What would you do if you had more resources, whether that’s time, money, or another expert? What would you do if you had fewer resources? If this project was taking place at a different time of year? If the target audience was different? Imagining these different potential scenarios will force you to problem-solve and adjust for various (very possible!) circumstances. 

4. Find Inspiration

Creative thinking doesn’t happen in a bubble. It’s vital to ask for others’ opinions and ideas. Creative thinkers consider multiple perspectives and are curious about how others think. Ask your colleague about their work processes, whether it’s how they research for a client deliverable or how they approach meeting an external buyer. 

5. Ask for Feedback

The best way to improve a skill is to get feedback from others on how you’re using it — and you don’t need to set up a formal feedback session to do so. Instead, ask questions when you’re working with others about your work. Keep these questions open-ended and lead with curiosity instead of looking for a specific answer. What did they think of how you led the brainstorm? What would they have done differently? What strikes them about the final product? Keep an open mind and remember not to take the feedback personally. It’s an opportunity to grow, and growing those skills might just help you land your next job!

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Home Blog Business Creative Thinking: The skill to think out of the box

Creative Thinking: The skill to think out of the box

Robert W. Weisberg, in his book, Rethinking Creativity: Inside-the-Box Thinking as the Basis for Innovation , reveals that real innovation relies on inside-the-box thinking. The seed of the idea is usually laid by what we already know. Developing creative skills is the key to innovation. Very often, creativity and innovation are used interchangeably. Creative thinking is not always inherent, but one can surely grow this skill by practice. According to an IBM poll of more than 1,500 CEOs, creativity is the most important factor for future business success, surpassing managerial discipline, ethics, and vision.

What is Creative Thinking? 

Creative thinking is a skill that helps you develop appealing and valuable ideas. Oxford Dictionary defines creative thinking as “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something.” Being imaginative and thinking beyond the box is critical to success in every sector. One of the world’s most prominent thinkers on creativity, Edward de Bono, adds that creativity is about breaking out old habits and seeing things in new ways.

It might be a new approach to a challenge or a solution to an employee dispute. Microsoft’s research with YouGov backs up this more technical sense of creativity, with 62 percent of British professionals characterizing it as finding a new approach to solve a problem .

Why is Creative Thinking important?

Creative thinking allows you to take an inventive approach to issues and cultivate open-mindedness.

You can produce new ideas, analyze events, find themes, and design alternatives to established operation systems by using creative thinking.

• Provides confidence: When you employ creativity to explore diverse ideas and concepts, it gives you confidence and encourages you to bring out the best.
• Self-reliance : With an urge to explore more, you become self-reliant. Creativity allows you to work on your goals and achieve them with complete fulfillment.
• Tackle situations: As creative thinking drives you to experiment and innovate, it expands your collective knowledge regarding various methods to handle every situation effortlessly.
• Releases stress: Creative thinking can be a stress buster as it enables you to be innovative beyond any boundaries. 
• Express hidden talents: Creative thinking allows you to nurture curiosity and unlock your hidden talents.
• Developing emotional intelligence: Creative thinking promotes considering circumstances from many perspectives, which can help you build empathy and emotional intelligence.

Developing Creative Thinking

Being a creative thinker enables you to develop fresh ways to approach existing situations. It gives you the sense to recognize the importance of various mindsets, methodologies, and theories. 

Developing Creative Thinking permits you to link thoughts and see parallels between totally different situations. Let us walk you through some ways to build creative thinking at your workplace:

• Establish purpose and intention: Identify what creativity is and focus on building the right team with the right amount of creativity. Focus on the objectives and blend new ideas for desirable outcomes.
• Build basic skills through communication: Creative thinkers are good at communication skills. Good communication skills can help you express your ideas and share your creativity confidently. 
• Encourage autonomy: According to Philip Rosedale, the founder and chairman of Linden Lab, the company’s most significant achievements come from workers’ creativity when given freedom. 
• Create a diverse team: Diversity enhances creativity. Allow your teammates from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise to share their thinking.
• Build motivation : Promote and support the innovative beliefs of your team members to motivate them. Reward your workers for their vivid creativity.
• Provide opportunities to explore: Encourage your team members to collaborate and share their thoughts. Individuals in the team can learn by exploring, testing, and refining new ideas.
• Focus on mastering metacognitive skills: Consider organizing training sessions in techniques like brainstorming, lateral thinking and mind-mapping to master metacognitive skills.

Types of Creative Thinking 

Creative thinking involves honing your innovative talents and soft skills to develop fresh ideas. Creative thinking skills are techniques for dealing with a situation through creative perspectives while using the appropriate tools to analyze it and design a solution.

Following are the five types of creating thinking:

• Analytical: Analytical thinking allows you to investigate complicated challenges. It helps you formulate the best decisions for your organization and the recognition and development of solutions. Understanding challenges and analyzing the situation for feasible solutions is an important skill in every role at every level. Developing this skill can help you improve your work and meet business objectives.
• Problem-solving: After thorough research and analysis of the problem, you need to look for an appropriate solution. With problem-solving skills, you can sort and arrange data found during the research process to develop a logical and practical answer.
• Open-mindedness: A creative mind is flexible, and creativity requires fluid thinking . Being more open-minded implies being more receptive to new ideas, viewpoints, cultures, forms of expression, and styles and recognizing that our point of view may not always be correct. 
• Communication: The ability to articulate and communicate your thoughts can govern your creative thinking skills at the workplace. It includes listening and processing people’s ideas before providing input and exchanging ideas via writing and speaking for effective communication.
• Organization: Being organized allows you to be more creative and gives your imagination more structure. Employ your organizational abilities to turn your ideas into concrete strategies that you can use to bring change as you explore new ideas. 

What are Creative Thinking Techniques? 

Creative thinking skills may not be inherited but can indeed be acquired. You can enhance your creative abilities by improvising various strategies and techniques.

Mindmapping

Mind mapping allows you to connect concepts you never imagined could be connected. As a result, it might assist you in coming up with appropriate ideas while applying creative thinking skills. It is a process to write down everything that pops into mind. Create as many ideas as you can; the more you write down, the more likely you will come up with the best idea. Consider mind mapping to organize your thoughts and come to logical conclusions. With the help of a 100% editable mind mapping template , you can present your ideas in a problem-solving discussion within your team or use it along with other creative thinking techniques to enrich your discussions.

Brainstorming

The central notion behind brainstorming is that having many creative possible ideas makes it simpler to choose the best one. This innovative thinking technique may effectively solve small or large-scale problems that demand creativity. The primary purpose is to build a group of people with whom you can freely exchange thoughts. Assist your team members in developing an experimental approach that produces outcomes at the workplace with brainstorming.

Lateral thinking

Emphasize generating new ideas in your organization while minimizing the details of how you can implement those ideas. Lateral thinking helps your thoughts wander freely and examine options that may otherwise go unnoticed. It involves looking at a problem from unconventional perspectives and coming up with innovative solutions as a result.

To come up with a fresh, inventive strategy, you’ll need to look at an issue or a scenario in a different manner, which requires reframing. Explore alternative interpretations of words, analyze the context, and broaden your perspective to spot something new and anticipate future roadblocks.

Mood boards 

A mood board is a visual graphic or representation of your ideas put together in one place . It gives your audience a clear vision of what an idea would look like after its execution. Plot your company’s desired goals with this image board creative thinking tool.

How to think critically and creatively?

Creativity is all about exploring and looking for new ideas. When we think out of the box and step outside of what we already know, we tend to draw new connections. This usually results in fresh insights, new ideas, and innovative solutions to problems that we could not have imagined previously. Critical thinking emphasizes analyzing and breaking down the problem, and creative thinking can bring about an appropriate solution for the analyzed data. That is the cornerstone of problem-solving with creative thinking. 

Let us look at the example to understand how to solve problems using creative thinking. 

When presented with a problem at the workplace, the employee analyzes it and then does thorough research. Then he shares (communicates) the problem with the teammate who presents him with progressive ideas (brainstorming and reframing) and hence a solution.

Examples of Creative Thinking in Business 

Adobe’s Creative Dividend study states that “More companies that foster creativity achieve exceptional revenue growth than peers.” Creativity is a skill that you can acquire and improve through practice. On the other hand, businesses must assist their workers in using their creative muscles by providing the correct culture, environment, training, and technology.

Let’s walk you through a set of examples of creative thinking in the business:

• Microsoft recognized that out-of-date technologies and procedures and ill-equipped workspaces restricted the capacity to think creatively and therefore designed a range of devices to help people discover their creative potential at work.
• Steve Jobs invented a new product like iPod due to brainstorming and lateral thinking when no one could ever imagine it.

Strike a note with your target audience with an insightful presentation on creative thinking. Deliver an innovative presentation with fresh ideas to your investors using creative thinking skills templates.

Final Words 

Whatever field you work in, you’ll discover that creative thinking can help you achieve your ambitions. Remember that everyone has the power to be creative and that creativity is primarily defined by the ability to think in unconventional ways. Help your staff to stretch their creative muscles by giving coaching training that will allow them to improve their creative thinking abilities.

Alternatively, we recommend our article on Design Thinking Process to solve company problems in an effective and innovatively way.

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9 Creative Problem Solving Tools For Your Next Breakthrough Idea

This is a suite of 9 creative problem solving tools from Erik op ten Berg. He’s an expert in creative thinking or applying creativity from the Netherlands.

He’s been working in this field for 25 years and has a Master of Science from Buffalo State University in New York.

His creative problem solving process takes a challenge and finds ideas that are new, useful and meaningful. I guarantee you this process will help you mobilise your group’s creative thinking skills.

You and your group will find original ideas which are always there. This helps you get to the holy grail of breakthrough thinking and quite possibly the ‘next big thing’.

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Interview with Erik op ten Berg

Watch this video to see Erik describe in detail how each tool / activity works with examples.

Please note that the video and audio quality is a little shaky in places. Sorry about that! We had some technical issues with Skype that were difficult to overcome.

Four Stages of Creative Problem Solving

The first two stages help you and your group ‘explore ideas’. The third stage helps you select the best ideas and the fourth tests the feasibility of your best ideas.

These are the four stages you need to go through (no skipping a stage please):

• Idea generation
• Idea expansion
• Idea selection
• Idea feasibility

Always start with the ABC Avalanche and then use 1 or 2 of the next 5 tools to expand the list of possible solutions.

1. ABC Avalanche (3:55sec on video)

A very basic brainstorming technique but extremely powerful.

This tool asks people to generate at least 26 ideas for a specific challenge sorting them by their first letters. It takes about 10-15 minutes.

• Write down the central question.
• Write down the letters of the alphabet.
• Generate many ideas sorting them by their first letters.
• Complete the alphabet.

Because participants focus on generating a specific number of ideas they postpone their judgments.

These attitudes are core to creative problem solving:

• Generating many alternative ideas.
• Postponing judgments.
• Moving past the first few (obvious) ideas.

Depending on the number of people in the session you can split into sub-groups. Feel free to build in a little competition between the groups if you like.

From this stage you have at least 26 starting ideas and people won’t have jumped into judging whether they are good ideas or not.

2. Breaking Assumptions (7:38min on video)

This is a second stage to an ABC Avalanche.

One of the very classical thinking techniques because to be truly creative you need to break patterns.

Once you’re aware of a pattern or an assumption in your idea generation so far you can deliberately break this assumption and new ideas will come forward and present themselves.

• List 5 assumptions present in the question or in the list of ideas.
• Take the opposite of each assumption.
• Imagine new solutions that run opposite to the initial assumptions.
• Add these to your list of ideas.

You ask the group to identify any patterns or assumptions that are built into either the challenge or list of ideas they’ve generated so far.

Then you ask them to take the opposite view (i.e. break that assumption) and come up with any new solutions and add them to your list of ideas.

3. Association Flower (11:13min on video)

Also a second stage technique after ABC Avalanche giving you and your group extra ‘access points’ from which to consider the challenge and generate more ideas.

This technique will generate a long list of associated keywords that can be used to generate even more ideas related to the original challenge.

• Write down a keyword about the challenge in the centre of the flower and four words that are associated with the keyword around it (see template on next page).
• Write around this keyword four associations.
• Then follow each of the 4 words in turn up its branch writing associated keywords as you go.
• Then use all these words to think in a new way about your challenge and generate even more ideas.
• Make the list of ideas as large as possible.

4. Visual Connections (15:33min on video)

Another way to create new ‘access points’ from which to generate new ideas.

• Focus on an interesting object, picture or an article in a newspaper.
• Write down your thoughts, reactions, impressions and observations.
• Make connections to the central topic and write these down as new ideas.
• Repeat this several times and expand your list of ideas.

You could bring a deck of pictures with you, or a set of magazines, or even ask the participants to bring their own magazines so they’re an integral part of the process.

5. SCAMPER (18:31min on video)

Use the 8 words from the acronym to approach the challenge from a different angle and generate a larger list of creative ideas.

SCAMPER is the summary of 72 questions used by Alex Osborn who is the man that founded the concept of brainstorming in the early 40s.

• SUBSTITUTE: parts, the whole, material…
• COMBINE: functions, material, just different…
• ADAPT: other color, place, use, form, timing…
• MAXIMIZE: bigger, stronger, longer, more time, macro level, use more often…
• MINIMIZE: smaller, lighter, shorter, micro level, less important…
• PUT TO OTHER USES: other context…
• ELIMINATE: parts, functions, material…
• REVERSE: sequence, upside down, inside out…

There’s no need to do all these words. Let them go wherever they want to go to create more productive access points to tackle the original challenge.

6. Analogy with nature (22:32min on video)

Sometimes people are using this technique as biomimicry .

Your question to the group: what kind of animals are you thinking about when you use your imagination?

Get them to list lots of animals quickly and ask them to select one. What is it that makes this an extraordinary animal?

Once you have that list of characteristics about the animal use those words as access points to generate more ideas about the challenge. What you’re doing here is using the beauty of nature and bringing that connection back to the challenge.

• List several names of animals.
• Choose a special animal with no link to the problem.
• List 10 characteristics about this animal.
• Use each characteristic as a stimulus for new ideas.
• Make a force-to-fit to the problem and boost your list of ideas.

Next step is to select ideas through a process of prioritization that you want to go deeper into and do further work on to develop them further.

7. Selecting ideas & COCD Box (24:37min on video)

Using a combination of dots (or hits as Erik calls them) and his COCD box you’re looking to boil down your grand list of ideas down to about 15 really good ones (5 in each color – blue, red and yellow).

• 5-15 IDEAS: everybody selects his or her 1-3 favorite hits; make out of these a top 3.
• 15-40 IDEAS: 5 sparkling ideas per person; focus on these and define an overall top 5 using dots or hits.
• >40 IDEAS: select individually 5-8 blue-red-yellow ideas (COCD-box); define the BIG 5 in each color.

Once you have 5 good ideas in each of the coloured boxes look for themes across them to try and boil everything down to a Top 5 by making some smart combinations.

If you’re looking for breakthrough ideas (and most often you will be) the ideas in the red box will be the ones you want to focus on in the next stage.

8. Concepting (30:07min on video)

What you’re looking to do now is enrich your ideas into concepts. You do this by combining your headline ideas with other ideas that are closely related from your overall list.

Take each red idea in turn and see if you can bundle in other ideas from the grand list.

• Focus on the selected ideas.
• Take one idea and add on different ideas (with and without dots) from the idea list, to enrich the original idea.
• Do this for all the selected ideas.
• Give the enriched ideas an attractive title.
• Go on with these results.

Then give the enriched ideas a more attractive title.

9. PPCO (33:38min on video)

This is one of Erik’s little gems he got out of his Master of Science in Buffalo.

At this stage you’re looking to expand and test your best ideas or concepts for feasibility.

• Pluses : what is good, positive about the idea.
• Potentials : what are the possibilities if the idea were pursued.
• Concerns : phrase shortcomings or limitations of the idea as questions.
• Overcomes : generate ideas to overcome the ‘burning’ concerns.

PPCO is like a SWOT analysis but in a more positive end. A moving towards approach instead of getting away approach. Facing truth and reality in a way of opportunities.

Pluses : Let’s see why we should do this idea. Potentials : What are the extra potentials of this idea that you haven’t considered before? These are extra or super pluses. Concerns : ‘how can I overcome (insert negative point here) …” Overcomes : your last stage of creative thinking where you’re generating answers of how to overcome your concerns.

You end with a triple positive state with very realistic backgrounds. That’s the kind of creativity you need when you have a good idea and you want to move it further whilst trying to taste a bit of the potential of it.

Creative problem solving is a process that, if you have the right tools and activities at hand, you can consistently achieve fantastic results from.

For your session to be a success you need to make sure you move past the first few obvious ideas, you generate tonnes of alternatives and that you postpone judgment on the quality of each idea until the appropriate moment.

How does your experience stack up? Do you have any secrets you’d like to share in the comments below?

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About the Author

Erik op ten Berg (1963) holds a Master of Science Degree in Creativity and Change Leadership, and is educated in Innovation Management at Delft Technical University in The Netherlands. He is a well-known trainer in Creative Problem Solving, and moderator of hundreds of change focused brainstorm workshops. Besides his own company Pioen consult he is also partner at the “Center for the Development of Creative Thinking” (COCD) in Belgium.

Thanks great would like to communicate with Erik Op Ten Berg

dear Rakesh! send me an email at [email protected] ; I will appologize for the delays in my answer because of some Summer holiday trips until August 22…

Thanks for sharing all these ideas. Very interesting and it generates a lots of ideas. One of them is the potential use of istock or getty image platform to search visuals using key words for Visual connections exercises. Wonder if you have try something like this in the past.

Great idea Dany. You need to be careful of potential copyright infringements obviously but there are loads of free stock image repositories out there too you can use in the way you suggest.

hi Dany! visual connections are an “easy way” to create access to thoughts that didn’t came up before; you can do this offline and also online; my experience with group thinking is better with offline pictures then online; bur for individual practice the online inspiration can be very productive and provocative; I wish you lots of creative detours in your own thinking; best wishes, Erik op ten Berg

Very educative, very informative, very useful for a trainer/coach. Thanks for great help to trainer community. World owes you a lot.

excellent approach

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How to Be a More Creative Problem-Solver at Work: 8 Tips

• 01 Mar 2022

The importance of creativity in the workplace—particularly when problem-solving—is undeniable. Business leaders can’t approach new problems with old solutions and expect the same result.

This is where innovation-based processes need to guide problem-solving. Here’s an overview of what creative problem-solving is, along with tips on how to use it in conjunction with design thinking.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving?

Encountering problems with no clear cause can be frustrating. This occurs when there’s disagreement around a defined problem or research yields unclear results. In such situations, creative problem-solving helps develop solutions, despite a lack of clarity.

While creative problem-solving is less structured than other forms of innovation, it encourages exploring open-ended ideas and shifting perspectives—thereby fostering innovation and easier adaptation in the workplace. It also works best when paired with other innovation-based processes, such as design thinking .

Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Design thinking is a solutions-based mentality that encourages innovation and problem-solving. It’s guided by an iterative process that Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar outlines in four stages in the online course Design Thinking and Innovation :

• Clarify: This stage involves researching a problem through empathic observation and insights.
• Ideate: This stage focuses on generating ideas and asking open-ended questions based on observations made during the clarification stage.
• Develop: The development stage involves exploring possible solutions based on the ideas you generate. Experimentation and prototyping are both encouraged.
• Implement: The final stage is a culmination of the previous three. It involves finalizing a solution’s development and communicating its value to stakeholders.

Although user research is an essential first step in the design thinking process, there are times when it can’t identify a problem’s root cause. Creative problem-solving addresses this challenge by promoting the development of new perspectives.

Leveraging tools like design thinking and creativity at work can further your problem-solving abilities. Here are eight tips for doing so.

8 Creative Problem-Solving Tips

1. empathize with your audience.

A fundamental practice of design thinking’s clarify stage is empathy. Understanding your target audience can help you find creative and relevant solutions for their pain points through observing them and asking questions.

Practice empathy by paying attention to others’ needs and avoiding personal comparisons. The more you understand your audience, the more effective your solutions will be.

2. Reframe Problems as Questions

If a problem is difficult to define, reframe it as a question rather than a statement. For example, instead of saying, "The problem is," try framing around a question like, "How might we?" Think creatively by shifting your focus from the problem to potential solutions.

Consider this hypothetical case study: You’re the owner of a local coffee shop trying to fill your tip jar. Approaching the situation with a problem-focused mindset frames this as: "We need to find a way to get customers to tip more." If you reframe this as a question, however, you can explore: "How might we make it easier for customers to tip?" When you shift your focus from the shop to the customer, you empathize with your audience. You can take this train of thought one step further and consider questions such as: "How might we provide a tipping method for customers who don't carry cash?"

Whether you work at a coffee shop, a startup, or a Fortune 500 company, reframing can help surface creative solutions to problems that are difficult to define.

3. Defer Judgment of Ideas

If you encounter an idea that seems outlandish or unreasonable, a natural response would be to reject it. This instant judgment impedes creativity. Even if ideas seem implausible, they can play a huge part in ideation. It's important to permit the exploration of original ideas.

While judgment can be perceived as negative, it’s crucial to avoid accepting ideas too quickly. If you love an idea, don’t immediately pursue it. Give equal consideration to each proposal and build on different concepts instead of acting on them immediately.

4. Overcome Cognitive Fixedness

Cognitive fixedness is a state of mind that prevents you from recognizing a situation’s alternative solutions or interpretations instead of considering every situation through the lens of past experiences.

Although it's efficient in the short-term, cognitive fixedness interferes with creative thinking because it prevents you from approaching situations unbiased. It's important to be aware of this tendency so you can avoid it.

5. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking

One of the key principles of creative problem-solving is the balance of divergent and convergent thinking. Divergent thinking is the process of brainstorming multiple ideas without limitation; open-ended creativity is encouraged. It’s an effective tool for generating ideas, but not every idea can be explored. Divergent thinking eventually needs to be grounded in reality.

Convergent thinking, on the other hand, is the process of narrowing ideas down into a few options. While converging ideas too quickly stifles creativity, it’s an important step that bridges the gap between ideation and development. It's important to strike a healthy balance between both to allow for the ideation and exploration of creative ideas.

6. Use Creative Tools

Using creative tools is another way to foster innovation. Without a clear cause for a problem, such tools can help you avoid cognitive fixedness and abrupt decision-making. Here are several examples:

Problem Stories

Creating a problem story requires identifying undesired phenomena (UDP) and taking note of events that precede and result from them. The goal is to reframe the situations to visualize their cause and effect.

To start, identify a UDP. Then, discover what events led to it. Observe and ask questions of your consumer base to determine the UDP’s cause.

Next, identify why the UDP is a problem. What effect does the UDP have that necessitates changing the status quo? It's helpful to visualize each event in boxes adjacent to one another when answering such questions.

The problem story can be extended in either direction, as long as there are additional cause-and-effect relationships. Once complete, focus on breaking the chains connecting two subsequent events by disrupting the cause-and-effect relationship between them.

Alternate Worlds

The alternate worlds tool encourages you to consider how people from different backgrounds would approach similar situations. For instance, how would someone in hospitality versus manufacturing approach the same problem? This tool isn't intended to instantly solve problems but, rather, to encourage idea generation and creativity.

7. Use Positive Language

It's vital to maintain a positive mindset when problem-solving and avoid negative words that interfere with creativity. Positive language prevents quick judgments and overcomes cognitive fixedness. Instead of "no, but," use words like "yes, and."

Positive language makes others feel heard and valued rather than shut down. This practice doesn’t necessitate agreeing with every idea but instead approaching each from a positive perspective.

Using “yes, and” as a tool for further idea exploration is also effective. If someone presents an idea, build upon it using “yes, and.” What additional features could improve it? How could it benefit consumers beyond its intended purpose?

While it may not seem essential, this small adjustment can make a big difference in encouraging creativity.

8. Practice Design Thinking

Practicing design thinking can make you a more creative problem-solver. While commonly associated with the workplace, adopting a design thinking mentality can also improve your everyday life. Here are several ways you can practice design thinking:

• Learn from others: There are many examples of design thinking in business . Review case studies to learn from others’ successes, research problems companies haven't addressed, and consider alternative solutions using the design thinking process.
• Approach everyday problems with a design thinking mentality: One of the best ways to practice design thinking is to apply it to your daily life. Approach everyday problems using design thinking’s four-stage framework to uncover what solutions it yields.
• Study design thinking: While learning design thinking independently is a great place to start, taking an online course can offer more insight and practical experience. The right course can teach you important skills , increase your marketability, and provide valuable networking opportunities.

Ready to Become a Creative Problem-Solver?

Though creativity comes naturally to some, it's an acquired skill for many. Regardless of which category you're in, improving your ability to innovate is a valuable endeavor. Whether you want to bolster your creativity or expand your professional skill set, taking an innovation-based course can enhance your problem-solving.

If you're ready to become a more creative problem-solver, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses . If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

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